Will Gadd: First Person to Climb Frozen Niagara Falls (Video)

It sounds like something out of a not-particularly-plausible cartoon – waiting for a waterfall to freeze, then climbing up it like a particularly unstable frozen mountain. But with the sponsorship of the benevolent brand overlords at Red Bull, ice climber Will Gadd became the first person to climb not just any waterfall, but THE waterfall, Niagara Falls.

The danger of Will Gadd’s feat should be obvious: Even before the climb began, simply approaching the frozen-over Niagara Falls requires quite a bit of courage, since it could theoretically collapse into its natural state at any time. This was a particularly cold winter in the northeast, though, which is what gave Gadd the opportunity to make his climb.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Niagara Falls was only partially frozen over when Will Gadd climbed up it. If you don’t believe me, you can watch the video of the climb for yourself below. And to read more about the mission, you can head over to the Red Bull site here.